Safety Testing of Color Cosmetics
Looks aren’t everything, but they can make a world of difference to how we feel. When we look good, we feel good. In fact, most of us say that when we feel confident in our appearance it boosts our self-esteem. Cosmetics can help us to feel confident in our appearance, whether it is products that make us smell nice, like deodorants or perfumes, or those that help us to look good, like make-up, moisturizers etc. But, since we use these day in and day out, we must be sure that they are safe to use. So, having confidence in the safety of the cosmetics we use is very important.
Color cosmetics are often what come to our mind when we use the word "Cosmetic". Color cosmetics make up about 20% of the cosmetic market. This group includes products that remain on the skin and change the color and appearance. It includes products for the face like foundations, lip sticks, blushes, eye shadow, eye liner, mascara etc. You could also include products for the nails such as nail polish, gloss, and all the products related to nail care.
The color cosmetics market is flourishing as consumers continue to explore new looks and manufacturers produce more and more pleasant formulas and textures. A manufacturer or distributor of a color cosmetic is responsible for ensuring that a marketed product is safe when a consumer uses it. Colour cosmetic safety testing is just one of the things a manufacturer might do to ensure the safety and wellness of a cosmetic product. However, FDA or regulatory bodies can take action against the manufacturer of a cosmetic if they have reliable information to show that a cosmetic does not meet the requirement for safety.
Manufacturers may also need to do safety testing to fill in any gaps in the information that’s already available. Toxicology or other color cosmetic safety testing methods may be necessary to determine the well-being of each ingredient that goes in a cosmetic product and the finished product itself. The manufacturer or supplier of the cosmetic product is responsible for ensuring it is safe and each cosmetic must be assessed for safety by an appropriately qualified safety evaluation laboratory before it is made available to the public.
The assessment forms a part of the product information booklet which includes details of undesirable effects on human health, safety testing data and where appropriate, proof of any claimed effect. Information relating to each color cosmetic product, including its formula, its method of manufacture and its safety testing data, must be readily available to the competent authorities on request. Some of this information should also be made open to public inspection on request.Safety testing may only be carried out by certain qualified professionals and must cover the finished product, all of the ingredients and how products will be used. These assessments may be inspected at any time by the regulatory authorities. In addition, the reputation of the manufacturer built up over many years can be quickly ruined if unsafe products are placed in the market.